1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment, and more particularly, to a personal exercise system.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Exercise systems intended to be used in different ways or configurations to perform different exercises are known. For example, an exercise system that includes an elastic cord and an associated bar has been sold for a period of time. In one device, the ends of the elastic cord are anchored in some manner to a bar with one mid-portion of the cord extending across the bar, through a grooved channel to accommodate the elastic cord. The cord is anchored to something, for instance, a user's feet or a door. Then the bar is tugged or pulled in different ways to stretch the elastic cord to exercise a user's muscles. The cord ends may terminate at any improvised connection system; for example, either a strap impinged in the crack of a door or in any one of several securing mechanisms present on a wall-mounted assembly. The cord ends had handgrips connected to them. The handgrips were inserted into the ends of the bar. The operator may put his or her feet in the handgrips to hold them and stretch the cord's mid-portion upwards by appropriate use of the bar.
In another arrangement, the mid-portion of the cord may be secured to a door or wall by any means. The mid-portion of the cord may also be self-anchored by standing on it. In either arrangement, it is quite common for the operator to grasp the opposing ends of the bar and raise it to a point far above his or her head while stretching the cord. In either arrangement, the assembly becomes a convenient portable substitute for cumbersome weight-lifting apparatus.
One can also wrap a portion of the elastic cord around the ends of the exercise bar in order to shorten the cord's length. The technique could be employed in either of the above-mentioned modes of exercise operation. If the cord's mid-portion, for example, were along or within a groove of the bar, opposing portions of the cord would be wrapped or twisted about the bar ends. If the handles at the cord ends are connected to the bar itself, the cord may be wrapped about the bar at its ends. By wrapping the cord about the bar ends to increase its resistance resulted in a torque built up. While exercising in this manner, the operator had to resist the torque that was created. That unwanted force tended to diminish the ordinarily sought-after benefits from operation of an elastically anchored lifting bar in either mode of exercise.
U.S. Pat. No. 437,822 to Reach shows a tug-of-war belt about which the rope would wrap. It did not have a bar or an elastic cord. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,839 to Trent shows a tugging belt with the cord ends terminating in door crack impingement. U.S. Pat. No. 2,448,384 to Meinzinger shows a device to grasp a fishing line. U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,964 to Walls disclosed a handle similar to a tennis racquet or golf club with elastic cords connected to a door jam. The operator was to stretch the elastic cords by moving the handle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,195,835 to Hinds, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,610 to Hinds, show an exercise bar 20 featuring means to effectually shorten a cable 24 by conveniently wrapping opposing sections of the cable around the end of bar 20. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,610, pins 92, 93 are inserted in sleeves 100, 101 until the end faces of bar sections 90, 91 are tightly abutted together.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,355,171 to Oesau discloses separate chains 14, 16 in lieu of a continuous elastic cord anchored to the anchor bar 12 the operator stood upon. U.S. Pat. No. 3,117,781 to Vargo featured a bar 9, which includes an inextensible cord 17 anchored into a platform 1 upon which the user stood. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,015 to Perrin, the cord 25 ends are fastened by interweaving them through holes 21 drilled in the extension or bar 20 so that the operator could exercise by standing upon the cord's mid-portion. U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,265 to Wiede, et al. featured a hollow bar 13 with which connection was accomplished by running the cord 11 ends longitudinally in opposition through passages 15 within the bar 100. Again, the user stood upon the cord's mid-portion during exercise.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,867 to Hinds featured an exercise bar 17 with a cord 11 anchored to the ends of the bar 17. Bar 17 was formed in halves joined by a suitable locking mechanism (see col. 2, line 65). The bar 17 included a groove 19 along its length for the cable 11. At the ends of the bar 17 are lugs 24 for wrapping the cable 11.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,779,867, Hinds discloses a pair of stirrups 12 that are placed within receptacles 30. This arrangement was bulky, and the stirrups could be oriented only in a direction transverse to the bar 17 because of the interfering presence of lugs 24.
The related devices are limited to specific exercise orientations since they implement restricted arrangements and straps. Furthermore, a user cannot easily emplace the elastic cord in any radial position within a socket of the bar end when the bar end has pegs to enwrap the cord.